Iona Hires Rick Pitino

Sam Vercruysse

As the NCAA was scrambling to make the right decision about whether to cancel March Madness during these hard times, Iona was thinking about their future. Earlier this month on the heals of their early exit in the MAAC tournament, Iona hired Rick Pitino to be their new men’s basketball coach. My initial reaction was mixed because I looked at the hire through two different lenses. I am a huge college basketball fan and growing up in western New York about an hour away from Syracuse there’s only one acceptable rooting interest, Go Orange! Rick Pitino coached teams have always been a rival of Syracuse my entire life whether it was in the old Big East or the ACC. This made my first impressions of the hire very confusing as I have years of sour memories surrounding Rick Pitino. Also, its hard to forget the last time Rick Pitino was in the news because it was while he was in the middle of a recruiting scandal that ultimately lead to him being terminated from his head coaching position at Louisville and getting his 2013 National Championship victory vacated. I would be a liar if I told you that didn’t give me a little joy in the moment, but that incident also was in the front of my mind when Iona elected to hire Pitino. Iona being a catholic institution with a very successful head coach in Tim Cluess already on their payroll made this move a head scratcher at first because in my short time at Iona I did not take it as an institution that welcomed the kind of controversy that this hire is sure to bring.

As this decision set in mind for a day or two I started to come around to the hire and it began to make more sense. The second lens was that of me as a student at Iona. A hire like this is going to bring so much energy and excitement to a program that is used to dominating the MAAC conference. Although Rick Pitino has been a villain in my mind in the past there is no denying his great pedigree and success he has had at some of the marquee programs in the entire country like Kentucky and Louisville. Pitino also has had stints in the NBA with the Celtics and Knicks. This kind of star power and experience went into Iona’s decision to hire him. Ticket sales and interest in the men’s basketball team will certainly increase as well as national attention for a program that does not have a history of having much of it. There is also the hope for higher level recruits and transfers to come to Iona because of the chance to work with a college basketball coaching legend. This hire could also strengthen their non-conference schedule as Rick Pitino has numerous connections and friendships across the college basketball landscape. Iona could find themselves playing in places like MSG in preseason tournaments and playing high level non-conference opponents like my Syracuse Orange as Rick Pitino’s friendship with Jim Boehiem has been very public for years. The benefits that were just laid out must have outweighed the costs in Iona’s mind and I agree with that.

Looking at the hire right now with my initial thoughts pushed aside I believe this is the perfect marriage for both sides. Rick Pitino is a New York area guy looking to redeem himself in the eyes of the college basketball world. Iona is a MAAC powerhouse looking to return to prominence after a down season coming off three straight regular season conference championships and what better way to inject life back into a program than with a high-profile hire. Being on campus this semester it was clear that there was disappointment in this year’s squad and I truly believe that Pitino can change that and change it fast. It is unclear to me at this point whether Rick Pitino is using this job as a steppingstone to get back to a power five program or if he really wants to stay at Iona and build something special to end his career on. That uncertainty is why if I had to give this hire a grade it would be a B+ instead of an A+. The chance that Pitino bolts after a couple seasons after receiving a better offer is very possible at this moment. All in all, it is my opinion that even though an enemy of mine in the past, Rick Pitino is a good hire for Iona. The potential for increased national attention, higher quality competition and NCAA tournament births due to MAAC championships is very exciting coming from my perspective as a student.